2024 Missouri Tigers Position Preview: Cornerbacks

After some major losses at the position to the NFL Draft, Missouri has some competition in its secondary.

Chase Gemes | Aug 1, 2024

Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive back Dreyden Norwood (12) and defensive back Daylan Carnell (13) celebrate a defensive stop against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

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Missouri Tigers

Fewer positions took as much of a hit for the Missouri Tigers than the cornerback after last season. Two of their starters— Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kris Abrams-Draine — were both selected in the 2024 NFL draft, leaving two very important slots for the taking.

Luckily Missouri has some returners eyeing a bigger role this season, along with a transfer portal addition that should be making a significant impact at the position. Maintaining as strong of a secondary will be a challenge, but the Tigers have seemed to prepare well enough to account for their losses.

2024 Missouri Cornerbacks

Projected depth chart:

Dreyden Norwood / Toriano Pride Jr.
Marcus Carke / Shamar McNeil
Nicholas Deloach / Ja'Marion Wayne
Cameron Keys / Jaren Sensabaugh

Dreyden Norwood

Junior, 6'0, 184 lbs

Over the last two years, Dreyden Norwood has consistently been a reliable option at cornerback. Now, he's one of Missouri's top options.

In 12 games last season — including five starts — the junior put up 20 tackles, three pass deflections and one fumble recovery. He was able to fill in well as a starter when Rakestraw dealt with injuries, bringing a lot of confidence to head coach Eli Drinkwitz and his staff, along with the strong showing he displayed in spring camp.

Norwood has only recorded one interception in his time with the Tigers, so an improvement in that area could also bode well for his development as a true starter.

Toriano Pride Jr.

Junior, 5'11, 190 lbs

The big addition to the cornerback room from the transfer portal was Torinao Pride Jr., who had spent two years at Clemson before transfering to Missouri on Dec. 6.

Pride has drawn a lot of buzz since joining the Tigers, and for good reason. In those two seasons at Clemson he put up a total of 37 tackles, nine pass breakups, a sack, an interception and a safety. He was one of the top cornerback recruits in the portal, but Missouri was able to snag him early.

The expectation is for the junior to help fill in the void Rakestraw and Abrams-Draine left, bringing valuable college football experience under his belt that the cornerback room is otherwise lacking. He's fast, skilled and smart, perfect for an expected full-time starter. He can play on both the boundary or slot.

Marcus Clarke

Senior, 5'11, 182 lbs

Since transferring from Miami in 2022, Marcus Clarke has been a welcome addition to the cornerback room for the Tigers.

Last season Clarke made nine appearances, recording 12 tackles, two interceptions and four pass deflections. He certainly made the most of the time he was given, attacking the football and forcing opponent turnovers.

Behind Pride and Norwood, Clarke is likely the top option for Missouri heading into this season. He's the only senior in the entire cornerback room, so his leadership should be highly important for the relatively young group.

Shamar McNeil

Redshirt freshman, 6'3, 169 lbs

Shamar McNeil received a redshirt last year for the Tigers, seeing a slight bit of action against the Arkansas Razorbacks in November and the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.

Opportunity for McNeil has opened up and he has the ability to receive a fair amount of appearances this season. He was listed as a top 100 cornerback in the country in high school along with being the No. 121 player in Florida, racking up 35 tackles and two picks as a senior.

J'Marion Wayne

Sophomore, 6-foot-2, 195 lbs

Seeing action in all 13 of Missouri's games last season primarily in a special teams role, J'Marion Wayne will be a solid piece in the cornerback room.

The sophomore put up three tackles in those appearances, but because of his special teams role, not much of a role was given to him on defense. That could change this year, with cornerbacks coach Al Pogue being considerably high on him at the position.

If Wayne can crack some defensive appearances again, he could be a major player at cornerback for the Tigers.

Nicholas Deloach Jr.

Redshirt freshman, 6'0, 175 lbs

Nicholas Deloach Jr. received a redshirt in 2023, receiving zero appearances during the season.

Deloach was ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 20 player in the state of Illinois in his class by ESPN. Nothing has quite materialized in college so far, but he's another player involved in the bench cornerback rotation.

Cameron Keys

Freshman, 6'0, 166 lbs

Coming in as a true freshman, Cameron Keys could be a newcomer that marks his name at Missouri already.

Listed as a four-star and No. 23 cornerback in his class by 247sports, Keys was pursued by fellow SEC teams in Kentucky, Arkansas and Vanderbilt, but chose the Tigers. In his senior year at Mosley High school he recorded 20 tackles, nine pass breakups and an interception, using his elite speed and coverage skills.

Putting on some weight may be a requirement in getting on the field immediately, but there's no doubt he has a lot of potential with the program.

Jaren Sensabaugh

Freshman, 6'1, 173 lbs

Alongside Cameron Keys, Jaren Sensabaugh is another freshman entering Missouri's cornerback room.

Listed as the No. 22 cornerback in the 2024 class and No. 8 recruit in Tennessee, Sensabaugh has consistently been ranked highly. He only played five games in his senior season, but recorded a productive 19 tackles and three pass deflections.

He will have challenges in making appearances like Keys will, but once again, he has plenty of time to make an impact.